About the middle of April the orange groves near New Orleans, Louisiana are full of Painted

Painted Bunting

Bunting’s, which are a type of beautiful little finch. As the Painted Buntings appear in the groves so do the bird trappers. In the area around New Orleans trapping the male Painted Bunting is a business that has resulted in the steady decline of these beautiful birds since about 1965.

A male is shot and stuffed in a defensive attitude, and perched among some grass-seed, rice, or other food. The stuffed male is then placed on the same platform as the trap cage and the trap is set. When another male Painted Bunting spots this male it dives at it with all the anger this little bird an pocess. It alights on the edge of the trap for a moment and then throws it’s weight againted the stuffed male and the trap is set. The live bird is removed to the lower compartment of the bird trap and then assists in traping other males.

The male Painted Bunting is one of North America’s most colorful birds, which is the reason for the traping of these of these beautiful birds for sale as caged birds in North America and Europe.

Painted Burning Facts:

Painted Buntings (Passerina ciris) are only found in two populations, one in the south-central United States, and one along the seaboard of the Southeastern United States.

The Paited Bunting’s French name is “nonpareil,” which means without an equal

The Creoles of Louisiana have give this bird the name of “Pape.”

A Courting male displays to a potential mate by flattening himself out on the ground, spreading his wings and tail, and fluffing his plumage much like a miniature turkey gobbler.

The Female lays four or five eggs, each a beautiful pearly, rather bluish colour, speckled with blackish, and are deposited in a simply constructed nest.

Painted Bunting’s are very territorial during the nesting season, but associate in flocks the rest of the year.

Hummingbirds are extremely loyal to feeding sites. A hummingbird that feeds in your yard one year will return to that feeder the next year. If you aren’t attracting as many hummers as you want read on! As the male Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is so territorial, one key is to offer lots of hummingbird feeders.

Remember two Golden Rules: Keep your hummingbird feeder clean and the hummingbird nectar fresh. Hummingbirds keep their distance from fermented nectar. They will not eat from a dirty feeder, especially one that has mold on it!

Perhaps hummers understand the need for a clear head for their acrobatic flying. Fermented nectar can support the growth of deadly molds. If a hummingbird gets a taste of fermented nectar from your feeder, it will look elsewhere for a drink and remain suspicious of the offending feeder for a long time.

Frequently asked questions from those who have Hummingbird feeders:

Q. How can I keep bees and wasps away from my Hummingbird feeders?

A .Use a Flat Top Hummingbird Feeder (The best one is Droll Yankee Aspects Feeder). When the Hummingbird Nectar is not at the feeding port, Hummers can reach the nectar-Wasps and Bees cannot!

Q. How can I keep ants out of my feeder?

 A. Buy a new feeder with “Nectar Guard Tips” or hang a Nectar Protector Ant Moat above your feeder and fill it with water (ant’s can’t swim!). The hummingbird feeder will be easy to fill and clean- yet no ants and lots of hummers in your backyard!

Winter Ryegrass

Fall is in the air, fall is in the air so the song goes. The days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler.  The cool nights, ample rain fall and morning dew are about as good as it gets for grass to grow.  Many lawn expects claim that fall is the most important single lawn feeding of the year. By applying a fall lawn feeding  in early September will help your lawn to begin to rebuild grass roots that were damaged during the hot, dry summer.  A second lawn feeding in November will strengthen your grasses roots and increase nitrogen storage for an early spring green up and healthier lawn next spring. Just because the temperatures outside are no longer high you can not forget about waterng in the fall.
The first step in preparing your lawn for its long winters nap will vary, according to whether your lawn is composed of a warm season grass or a cool season grass. If you are unsure which type of grass you have in your lawn take a sample to your local county extension agent.
 Common cool season grass turf grasses include:
  Bluegrasses
  Bentgrasses
  Fescues 
  Ryegrasses
 Common warm season turn grasses are:
  Bermudagrass
  Saint-Augustinegrass
  Zoysiagrass
  Buffalograss
Once you know what type of grass you are growing in your lawn it is time to overseed. By overseeding with annual winter rye grass (Lolium multiflorum), lawns that are planted with warm season turf will we green all winter long instead of brown. When you buy the grass seed  make sure you are buying annual, not perennial. Annual winter ryegrass will die back when the hot summer heat returns, turning your lawn over again to your warm season turf grasses. The problem with the perennial winter ryegrass is that it doesn’t o away. It grows all year round competing with your warm season grasses for sunlight, water and nutrients. 
Lawns that are compossed of cool season turf grasses also benefit from overseeding. In this case the the motivation behind the overseeding is not winter cosmetics, but to fix bare spots, so they will come up green next spring.
Fall Lawn Mowing
If you are using cool season grasses adjusting the lawn mower height for fall mowing is not a problem.  Mow your grass the way you normally would right up to the time the grass stops growing for the winter.  If your yard is composed of warm season turf grasses then your mower’s height should be increased by ½  inch .

Do not forget your feathered friends. During the fall the birds sources of food a being reduced at the same time that they are beginning to migrate south for the winter and need plenty of substance to make their journey. A birdfeeder in your back yard will bring you joy as you prepare your lawn for the winter months just ahead.  Some colorful lawn decor items will also bring life back into your backyard for the fall season.

Mid to Late Summer Gardening Tips

Here are some tips on what I do to keep Linda’s Serenity Garden looking good without wearing myself out.

The Ornamental Garden

Now is the time to deadhead your flowing plants. This will help them to keep producing blooms over a longer period. This is a task that you can do while enjoying a summers evening. Get into the habit of taking a stroll around your garden every evening. Stop and snip or pinch off spent blooms. If you do a little of it often, then it is not a big project, rather,  a way to enjoy  the plants in your garden.

The Vegetable Garden

Harvest your vegetables as soon as they are ready to eat. You will enjoy them at their peak of sweetness and flavor.  Harvest continuous producers regularly to encourage more fruits to develop.

House Plants

It should now be warm enough for you to take your house plants out into the garden for a summer holiday which they will appreciate.

Lawns

If you didn’t get around to feeding your lawn in the spring, you can still apply a fast lawn feed now. You will really notice the results. Be prepared to push the lawn mower more often however!

Since you will be out in your garden more often during the summer months, take the opportunity to assess your garden and make notes of any changes you would like to make.  It always helps to take some photos though out the season to remind you what the borders looked like at various times. Digital cameras are great to use for doing this.

Do not forget that it is also time to be putting out garden decor and accents in your garden and lawn. Visit our website and check out the large selection of bird houses, birdfeeders, bird baths, garden gnomes, fountains, statues, English garden houses and troughs, wind chimes and much more. These will give your garden that unique personality that only you can give it.